Ryan Saunders timeline and coaching record
He began his NBA coaching career with five seasons as an assistant with the Wizards.
February 22, 2021 at 6:12AM
2004-06: Played in 20 games as a walk-on guard for the Gophers under coach Dan Monson.
2008: Graduated from the University of Minnesota.
2008-09: Gophers graduate assistant under Tubby Smith.
2009-14: Assistant coach for the Washington Wizards, the first 181 games under his father, Flip.
2014-19: Assistant coach for the Timberwolves, the first season under his father, Flip.
2016-18: Coach for the Wolves' Las Vegas Summer League entry, leading the team to a runner-up finish in 2016.
Jan. 6, 2019: At age 32, is appointed interim coach by the Wolves after Tom Thibodeau's firing.
Jan. 8, 2019: Wolves win at Oklahoma City 119-117. Saunders is the youngest NBA head coach to win in his debut since 1978. Wolves finish out the season 17-25.
May 1, 2019: Wolves hire Gersson Rosas as president of basketball operations; the team says there is no mandate that Rosas must keep Saunders as coach.
May 20, 2019: Wolves announce the signing of Saunders to a multiyear deal to remain as coach. At age 33, Saunders becomes the youngest head coach in the NBA.
Oct. 27, 2019: Wolves beat Miami 116-109 to open 3-0. It matches the longest winning streak of Saunders' tenure.
Jan. 11-Feb. 5, 2020: Wolves lose 13 consecutive games.
Feb. 5-6, 2020: Rosas remakes the Wolves roster, trading away seven players, including Andrew Wiggins, Robert Covington and Gorgui Dieng.
Jan. 27, 2020: Wolves lose at home in overtime to the Kings 133-129. Sacramento trailed by 17 with 2:49 left. According to ESPN Stats and Info, NBA teams had been 0-8,378 since 1996-97 when trailing by 17 or more in the final 3 minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime.
March 10, 2020: Wolves lose at Houston 117-111 in what will become the final game of their season because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Feb. 21, 2021: Saunders is fired after a 7-24 start to the 2020-21 season. Went 43-94 (.314) in 137 games as coach.
Saunders' coaching record
2018-19 (42 games): 17-25, .405 winning percentage
2019-20 (64 games): 19-45, .297 winning percentage
2020-21 (31 games): 7-24, .226 winning percentage
Career (137 games): 43-94, .239 winning percentage
about the writer
The Wolves fell apart in the fourth quarter and have not won in Toronto in two decades.
